Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many members of the NHS Pension Scheme who retired since April 2021 are awaiting revised pension calculations or backdated payments as part of the McCloud remedy.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the importance of providing NHS Pension Scheme members certainty about when they will receive their McCloud Remediable Service Statements.

The current number of members who have retired since April 2021 and are awaiting a Remediable Service Statement that will show their choice of pension benefits is 209,989.

The current number of members who have received their Remediable Service Statements and have made their choice and are awaiting backdated payments is 116.

An independent review of the NHS Business Service Authority’s revised plans for the delivery of the McCloud remedy for NHS Pension Scheme members is ongoing. The independent review team is expected to assess this revised delivery plan shortly. Subject to the review team's assurance, we intend to issue new deadlines for the administration of remedy statements and update the House in May 2026.

In the meantime, the authority continues to provide Remediable Service Statements to affected members, prioritising those who may be most affected by the discrimination highlighted by the McCloud judgment. Additionally, members who meet specific criteria can request to receive a prioritised Remediable Service Statement. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/public-service-pensions-remedy-mccloud/making-your-decision-about-your-nhs-pension-benefits

The Government is committed to ensuring that affected members are not subject to financial disadvantage due to these delays. Pension arrears arising from the McCloud remedy are paid with 8% interest, and a compensation scheme is available for members who have experienced other direct financial losses.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on coordinating policy relating to the evacuation of pets during international emergencies.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

During international emergencies Defra officials work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to coordinate policy and manage live operational issues, including in relation to emergency pet movements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to make payments (a) Morgan McSweeney and (b) Tim Allan beyond their regular salaries.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individuals. The Model Contract for Special Advisers is published online and details the specific circumstances in which payments can be made to special advisers upon termination of employment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish the equalities impact assessment on the student loan repayment changes announced in Autumn Budget 2025.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to protect young people in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire from Meningitis B.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults. From 2015, the MenB vaccine has been available on the National Health Service as part of routine childhood immunisations, but most students would not be vaccinated.

The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers, and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), co-branded with the NHS, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation. The guide is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-people

The UKHSA collaboratively produces a university vaccine communications toolkit. This is shared with the distribution lists of Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, and is available at the following link:

https://find-public-health-resources.service.gov.uk/University%20vaccine%20communications%20toolkit/UNI24

In addition, United Kingdom guidance on the public health management of meningococcal disease provides clear advice on the management of confirmed and probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease, including MenB, to minimise onward transmission and further associated cases. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-guidance-on-public-health-management